Conductor for electric railways.



No. 767,534. C 'PATBNTED AUC. 16, 1904.

r A'. 'WHITTIER- CONDUCTOR PCR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 761534.* I PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

A."WHITTIER. GONDUCTOR 'POR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

l A'PPLIGATIO FILED SEPT. 8, 1903. N0 MODEL. V 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OEE1CE.-

CONDUCTOR FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,534, dated August 16, 1904.

Application led September 8, 1903l Seria-l No. 172,314. v (No model.)

To (LZ/Z whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR WHITTIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wollaston, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conductors for Electric Railways; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to vimprovements in' conductors for electric railways.

The object of the invention is to provide a conductor for this purpose which will do away with the third rail and other kobjectionable systems for conducting electricity along the lines of electric railways.

A further object is to provide a system of this kind in which danger from the conducting-rails will be reduced to a minimum, but

which will be eiiicient and reliable for the transmission of the electric current to the cars Jrunning on the line.

enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of thev track. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modiiied form of collecting device, showing the rail in section. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional'view through the rail, showing the collector in end elevation. Fig. 6 is a detail longitudinal section of a part of a track-section,showing a modified form of conductor-chain.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings,^1 denotes a car having the usual trucks 2 and supporting-wheels 3.

4 denotes the track-rails, one of which serves as the conducting-rail for the electric current and is formed of short sections each of which is insulated from the other, as shown. The rail-sections L are each formed in two parts-- a head 5 and a base 6. vThese parts are bolted together, but insulated from each other, as shown. .In the head 5 of each section is formed alongitudinally-disposed conduit 7 which eX- tends through the length of the section. fithin the conduit and insulated from the walls of the same is arranged a metallic channel or gutter 8. Within the gutter 8 of each rail-.section is arranged a series ofsoft-iron blocks 9,which are flexibly connected and formed into a chain by links 10. These chains are adapted to lie loosely in the channels of the rails and in contact with the same. Each of the metallic channels 8 is connected by a feed-wire 12 to the electrical supply-wire beneath the ground. 13 denotes the transmitting and collecting device, which is carried by the car and is arranged beneath the same at one side over` the track-rail, and preferably about midway between the trucks. The collecting and transmitting device consists of a permanent electromagnet suspended beneath the body'of the car. The lower ends of thepole-pieces of the magnet are enlarged to form square heads 14, in the under sides of which are formed recesses 15, in which are journaled rollers 16, that engage the track-rail and support the electromagnet. The pole-pieces are wrapped in the ordinary manner and are connected at their upper ends by the usual yoke or bar 17. 18 denotes a plate which is connected to the car, and 19 denotes a plate or bar arranged beneath the plate 18 and having a sliding dovetail connection therewith, as shown. 2O denotes a plate or bar similar to the plate or bar 19, and to the center of the bar 20 is pivotally connected the yoke or bar 17 of the magnet. Between the plates 19 and 2O are interposed coiled springs 21, which have a tendency to force down the magnet and cause Vthe wheels in the ends of the pole-pieces toyieldingly engage the track-rail. The pivotal connection ofthe magnet with the plate ,2O permits the same to turn when the car is rounding curves in the track, and the sliding dovetail connection of the plate 19 with the attaching-plate 18 permits the lateral movement of the parts that would be necessary IOG when moving around curves, so that the contact between the rollers in the pole-pieces with the track-rails will always be maintained.

The operation is as follows: The metallic channels 8 in the rail-sections are supplied' with the electric current by feed-wires, as hereinbe'fore described; but as these channels are insulated from the track the same is not directly charged thereby. When the magnet carried by the car passes over the sections of track, the chain of soft-iron blocks whichl normally lies in' the channels 8 will be attracted, and such parts of the same directly beneath the poles of the magnet will be drawn up in the conduit 7 against the under-side rail-tread, and when in this position part of the chain rests in the channel 8 and part is held in contact with the rail-tread by the magnet, thus forming a conductor through which the current from the channel 8 passes, and from thence through the rail and pole-'pieces of the magnet, from which it is conducted by suitable means (not shown) to the motor on the car.

It will be observed that the rail-sections are of such length and the arrangement of the parts is such that the magnet and the car- Wheels do not engage the same rail-sections at the same time, so that the current will not be short-circuited, and as the rails are dead at all times except when the magnet is passing over the same all danger from contact with the same is obviated.

In Fig. 6 is shown amodiied form of chain for conducting the current. In this form the blocks 9 have pivoted on each side thereof a short bar 9, which when the blocks are drawn up by the magnet will drop or hang down from the same and remain in contact with the channel 8, thereby insuring communication between the same and the track-rail. This form oi' block-chain is particularly adapted for use on very short sections of track, such as at switches, wherein the. whole length of chain in said section might be raised up by the magnet, in which case were it n'ot that the bars 9 dropped or remained down incontact with the channel the circuit would not be made.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown a modiiied form of conduit and transmitting device. In this instance the track -sections may be of the usual length, but have formed in their tread portion, near the outer edge of the same, a channel or recess 23, in which are arranged a series of metallic boxes or casings 24, which are insulated from the walls of the channel land from each other and are held in place by screws 25. lVithin the boxes 24 are arranged metallic channels or gutters 26, the same being insulated from the boxes 24. In the channels or gutters 26 are adapted to lie a chain of blocks 27. The channels or gutters 26 are connected to electric feed-wires 28. The upper sides'of the boxesor casings 24 Vlie slightly above the tread of the rail and are adapted to be engaged by the transmitting device 29. The pick-up or transmitting device 29 consists of a magnet the arrangement of which 'is slightly different from that previously described. In this instance the heads of the pole-pieces have connected thereto contactbrushes 28, which have a yielding contact with the metallic casings 24 and take the current directlyutherefrom, so that the trackrail is not charged at all. There are preferably three of the brushes 28 used, and they are arranged, as shown, one between each pole and one at each end of the same, so that the proper contact with the conductor-casings will be made. The poles of the magnet pass over the casing and lift the conductor-chain in the channels or gutters 26 against the top of the casing` and charge the same, and from said charged casings the current is taken by the brushes and conducted to the car-motor. The heads of the pole-pieces are provided with wheels or rollers 29, which in this instance engage the inner side of the wheeltread and do not come into contact with the casings or electrically-charged parts at all, but are only used for supporting the magnet upon the rails.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any or' the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a track-rail having a iexible circuit-closing magnetizable conductor, a car, an element connected thereto for sliding movement transversely with reference to the car, an element pivotally connected to the transversely-movable element for horizontal angular movement, and magnets and track-engaging devices carried by the angularly-movable element.

2. In combination Awith a track-rail having a flexible circuit-closing magnetizable conductor. a car, an element connected thereto for sliding movement transversely with reference to the car and provided with a spring, an element pivotally connected to the said transversely-sliding element for horizontal angular movement, and magnets and track-engaging devices carried by the angularly-movable element and operating on the track-rail, the spring exerting downward pressure on said track-engaging devices.

3. In combination with a track-rail having a longitudinal channel and a conductor-channel in said rail-channel, a 'magneti-Zable flexi- IOI) bie conductor in the conductor-channel and Comprising ieXibIy-jointed sections and coniiexibly connected to said blocks to depend IO therefrom when the blocks are lifted. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses. y

ARTHUR WHITTIER. Witnesses:

GEORGE W. HUNT, .GEORGE BURTON FRASER. 

